She's Who's Who?
by Babmilion
Summary: Who would want a klutz when they could have a star? Fighting against first impressions, rumors and friends-gone-bad, Kagome realizes that falling in love in high school, especially with the proud Sesshoumaru, is a recipe for heartbreak... Or maybe... not?
1. Introduction

Introduction

Kagome ran her fingers through the top of her braid, making sure no hair came loose from the tight weave. Pulling it across her shoulder, she nervously traced the pale pink ribbon that wove in and out of sight through black coils of hair. It wasn't a modern hairstyle, but one that she was accustomed to and had worn every day at the _Onnanoko no Gakkou_ Preparatory School for Girls. Now that she was sixteen, however, she was no longer a child—she was a young woman, and a graduate (albeit unwillingly) of a prestigious all-girls school. One that she had waited a long time to get out of. One that had cramped her, tortured her with boredom and lady-like manners, where the only thing she learned was how to cook a decent meal.

Well, she was out in the real world. And taking real classes. At a real high school. With real boys.

She tossed the braid back over her shoulder, where it blended in against the dark background of her fitted Muse T-shirt. No more school uniforms, no more unflattering knee-high skirts and poofed blouses and penny loafers. Now, she could wear what she wanted. On the first day at her new school, she chose a tight black shirt with a skeletons-dancing-a-jig-and-drinking-whisky design on the front, slim fitting blue jeans and a pair of two inch heels that raised her to a decent 5 foot 8 height. She wanted to look good, after all. For the boys.

"You ready?" Kikyo asked quietly from her left.

"Yeah, I guess," Kagome replied with a small smile which quickly turned into a nervous grin. "You?"

"Yeah," Kikyo said, turning to face the door that they would step through, the door that lead to their new homeroom classroom and new lives. Only Kagome could tell how nervous her best friend was, behind the cool and impassive face and perfect posture.

As kids, they had done everything together. They dressed the same, had the same hairstyles, did everything as though they were inseparable twin sisters. As they grew older, however, they grew apart—Kagome became more a rebel, a bookworm, a klutz. Kikyo, however, turned into a model student, working on her calligraphy, her archery, her cooking and social skills, her lessons. She left _Onnanoko_ as the top student of the year, got into high school on a scholarship, and was working as a waitress at _Oishii Tabe_, the most elite restaurant in Tokyo. They stayed friends out of habit, because they knew each better than anyone, and because, well… they were friends.

Incidentally, Kikyo was wearing a conservative sweater-dress, the latest fashion on the runway, and her straight hair fell smoothly down past her waist._She'll have to be careful not to sit on it_, Kagome thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted as an old, balding man cracked the door open. He was facing away from them, still talking to the class. When he turned in their direction, Kagome saw that he had a squint behind his glasses and looked nothing like the tall, dark and handsome teacher she had imagined. "Welcome," he said and stood away from the doorway, inviting them to walk into the classroom.

Kagome quickly looked at Kikyo, send her a silent plea to go first. With a small smile to her friend and a quick breath, Kikyo glided into the room. Kagome squared her shoulders and followed, tripping a little as crossed the raised platform separating the hall and class. Blushing, she kept her eyes locked on the back of Kikyo's head, following her movements. When Kikyo stopped, Kagome nearly bumped into her. Slowly, she turned to face the class.

"Everyone, please welcome our two incoming students, Kikyo and Kagome." The girls smiled, looking around at the un-enthusiastically clapping student body. The teacher turned to them. "Please, introduce yourselves."

As Kikyo went through a brief autobiography, Kagome eyed the class. The thirty-something students were clearly divided into groups: jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, misfits. Kagome could not easily think of which group she belonged to; she hoped their seats would be assigned.

All the boys were staring at Kikyo—she was, after all, beautiful, stylish, confident… Kagome felt overshadowed. It was a feeling she was not used to; at the all-girls school, there had been none of this, this…_appraising_, she decided on the word carefully. Well, she could do some of the appraising herself, she thought.

In the last row, there was a boy with long, white hair who instantly caught her eye. _Cool, good-looking, athletic, rich… probably not too smart, though_. The kid sitting next to him was also a catch, although he looked gay, with piercings in his ears and a small pony tail sticking out behind his gelled hair. _He's an A-student, also rich, probably a pimp on the side_, Kagome decided. His eyes kept darting from Kikyo to a girl who sat at the desk closest to the window. She had Kikyo's hair, but it was done into a long ponytail. She wore a colorful shirt, and a green silk skirt that went nearly to the floor. _For some reason, though, she doesn't look like the kind of girl who likes to dress up…_ Kagome thought.

"Thank you, Kikyo," the teacher said. The class applauded lightly, and looked at Kagome. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words.

"Ah, right. So, um… Well, my name is Kagome, and I like archery and taking walks, and, oh!, I like reading… And, um… my elective classes are chemistry and sociology, and I work part-time as a Miko…" She faded off and shrugged her shoulders. Her life was, after all, not that interesting.

"Well, alright then. Everyone, please welcome Kagome." There was scattered applause. Most of the people had already reverted their attention to Kikyo, who stood demurely with her hands clasped in front of her looking at the teacher. The teacher smiled that them, and then at the class. "You may take a seat wherever you would like, and I will give you this homeroom hour off to get to know everyone." Kikyo took a lone seat at the front of the room, leaving Kagome to plow through the people getting up out of their chairs to look for another empty desk. She turned around curiously as the class's chattering gave way to a loud moan of displeasure. The teacher had sat down at his desk, and was grading a large stack of papers.

"Those are our tests," the long-haired girl in the window seat told Kagome with a friendly smile. She stretched out her hand. "I'm Sango."

Kagome smiled. "I'm Kagome."

"I know," Sango grinned. "You just introduced yourself."

"Oh, right…" Kagome muttered awkwardly, shifting her bag from one hand to another. She looked around the room for a desk.

"The one behind me is available," Sango told her.

Kagome smiled at her surprised. "Really? Thanks!" She went over and dropped her bag on the desk, pulling out the chair and sitting on back of it with her legs balancing out her weight on the seat. _Sango's nice_, she thought. She glanced over at Kikyo, but couldn't see her through the throng of people crowding around her desk. She looked back at Sango, who was staring out the window dreamily. "So, what subject was the test?" She asked, grabbing Sango's attention. It would do no good to loose the interest of the only person who had been friendly to her so soon.

"Oh, math, I think."

Kagome laughed. "You_think_?"

Sango smiled. "I was never the most attentive student…." Her eyes flitted over to Kikyo's desk.

"She's been my friend since we started school," Kagome offered.

"Oh, really?" Sango seemed surprised. Kagome started to explain life at the private girl's school and soon they were chatting. Kagome smiled internally. _I've made my first friend_. Then Sango gave a small groan. "Great, _he_'s coming over."

Kagome gave her a small conspiratorial look. "_He_ who?"

Sango smiled back. "Miroku. The guy with the short ponytail. He's a pervert, and a player. So, don't be charmed by him," she warned.

"Oh, Sango, you break my heart by talking like that," the boy called Miroku said, taking Sango's hand and bringing it to his lips. Kagome blushed and looked away, getting a better look at the rest of her classmates.

There were only two people sitting alone, the rest were organized into groups of two or three. A large hub of activity surrounded Kikyo's desk: girls who fawned over her pretty dress, and boys who tried to get her attention by joking with each other and praising her. Kikyo seemed to love the attention, and did not glance back at Kagome. _Well, it's not like we were the _best_ of friends,_ Kagome thought a little sadly. The white-haired boy she noticed earlier seemed to have caught her interest. _Are they flirting_? Kagome thought, surprised._Leave it to Kikyo to find a boyfriend the first day of class_, she thought with a hint of jealousy.

A loud laugh came from the back of the room, and Kagome twisted in her chair to find the source. Sango noticed he movement, and leaned towards Kagome. "That's Koga," she said with a small smile. "Cute, isn't he?"

Kagome blushed. "Yeah, I guess so," she muttered.

Sango grinned. "He's a great guy, seriously. We've been friends since we were babies! I could introduce you two, if you'd like," she offered.

Kagome started to protest, but then stopped herself. If Kikyo could snag a guy on the first day, so could she! "Yeah, that would be pretty cool," she replied with a bright blush.

Sango clapped her hands. "Yes! I get to play matchmaker!" she said brightly to Miroku, who was grouchily staring at Koga. "Oh, don't be jealous of _him_! He's a _friend_! Seriously," she said to Kagome. "We're not even dating, and he still gets possessive."

"I do not," Miroku protested. "I just don't like the guy."

"Yeah, Koga's group and Inuyasha's don't get along too well," Sango confided to Kagome, mock-ignoring the black haired boy at her desk.

"First of all, it's not _Inuyasha's_ group," Miroku exclaimed, stung.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Sango pointed to the white-haired boy flirting with Kikyo. "Him."

"Oh," Kagome said and turned back to the front of the room to examine him. "He seems… cocky," Kagome said, tilting her head to the side. Unfortunately, the room chose that moment to fall silent, and her comment came out disproportionably loud. Inuyasha turned around, and stared back at her. Blushing bright red, Kagome dropped her eyes and sank into the seat of her chair, hoping he would ignore her comment. Unfortunately, he started to make his way over to her. "Shit," she mouthed at Sango, who seemed about to laugh. Her giggles, though suppressed, were contagious and Kagome felt her lips quiver.

Inuyasha stopped in front of her desk and nodded a hello to Sango and Miroku who nodded back, Sango covering her mouth with the palm of her hand to stop herself from laughing. Then he looked down at Kagome, who chose to look at the pencil marks on her desk instead of at him in fear of erupting into giggles.

"You were talking about me?" Inuyasha cut straight to the chase.

Without looking at him, Kagome shook her head from side to side, 'no.'

"Really?"

Kagome chanced a look up at him, but quickly looked back down as she felt laughter bubbling up into her throat. Her shoulders shook as she tried not to let it out and anger the already upset boy any further. Clearly, he was not used to being made fun of.

There was some commotion from behind her.

"She doesn't have to answer you, Inuyasha. Or didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to pressure a woman?" Koga took up a position behind her chair, placing his hands on either side of her protectively. Kagome glanced back at him, irked that he would think her so weak as to need reinforcement. She was about to tell him so, but blushed further as she realized how close his chest was to her back, and instead shrank a little into her seat.

"Didn't yours ever tell you it was rude to interrupt two peoples' conversation?"

"Oh, I didn't realize that it was two-sided. You just seemed to be talking at her," Koga retorted. They stared at each other, the tensions rising.

"Alright, settle down," the teacher interrupted. "Homeroom is almost over, and I want to hand back these exams. Everyone, take your seats!"

With one more mean look at each other, Inuyasha and Koga paced back to their seats; everyone else followed their example. Sango shot Kagome a quirky smile, and turned to face the front of the room. Kagome smiled too, and straightened up in her seat. Even if they weren't fighting over her, it was nice to have the attention of two cute boys. _It will be a fun year_, she thought, and took out her notebook.

* * *

I hope you liked the beginning of the story! Yes, yes... it will be Kagome and Sesshoumaru, but it would be no fun if they were together from the start!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha... u.u

And, a semi-relevant quote

change,  
everything you are  
and everything you were  
your number has been called  
fights, battles have begun  
revenge will surely come  
your hard times are ahead

-Muse


	2. The First Day

Chapter 2: The Meeting, of Sorts

Chapter 2: The First Day

Kagome tried to steal a peak at Sango's test, but as soon as the teacher had called her name, Sango grabbed it and hastily shoved it into her backpack. "Don't wanna know?" Kagome asked sympathetically.

Sango laughed miserably. "I know I failed this one… Math is absolutely my worst class. And it didn't help that I was fighting with Miroku the night before." She was about to explain the reason for their argument, but just as she drew a breath for a long soliloquy, the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom.

Kagome waited as Sango slipped her binder into the bag. "What's your next class?" she asked. "It's elective block, right?"

Sango sighed, and brushed some stray bangs out of her eyes. "Yup. I have Sociology with this loser," she replied, nodding her head at the approaching Miroku.

"Your harsh words wound me, my dear," he said dramatically, holding out his hand. "Shall we be off, then?" he asked as Sango hefted him her bag, and he easily slung it over his shoulder, not seeming to care that it was bright orange.

"Yeah, let's go," Sango smiled, looping her arm through his. "Oh, and listen, if you want, feel free to sign up for the class with us! It's really fun!" she called over her shoulder as Miroku escorted her out of the classroom.

_Wow,_ Kagome thought. _What a nice-looking couple. I wish I had someone to walk me to class…_ With a small, envious sigh (and thinking that there was more to Sango's warning of steering clear of Miroku than she would like to admit), Kagome watched the other students filing out of the classroom. Catching her eye, Kouga winked at her on his way out. Kagome rolled her eyes back at him. He grinned and disappeared out the door. _Maybe,_ Kagome decided, _he would make a god boyfriend…_

Soon, she and Kikyo were the only two people left in the class beside the teacher. He had just finished handing out the tests, and was now examining them from his desk. Realizing how good-looking he was and not wanting to linger on the thought, Kagome turned her attention to Kikyo. She was flipping through some history notes a boy had given her. "Why don't you come on up to the front row, Kagome?" he asked. She complied, settling in the wobbly desk to the left of Kikyo where a brown-haired boy had been sitting earlier. "So, you two seem to be getting along with the class well, so I don't suppose there would be any reason to switch you to a different homeroom?"

Both of them shook their heads. "No, sir," they said in unison.

"Good! Then, this will be your class for all the basic courses. Of course you know the schedule, you got that in the principle's office, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

He laughed. "I know you girls came from a very prestigious school, but there is no reason for such formalities here. My name's Mr. Hiten. I'll be your homeroom and math teacher, and I'm also one of the gym instructors. So, feel free to come to me if anyone is giving you a hard time, and I'll beat them up for you," he joked.

Both the girls smiled. "Why, thank you!" Kikyo said, twirling a bit of hair around her finger. _Was she flirting with him?_ Kagome wondered, astonished. _The availability of guys is sure having an impact on her_.

Mr. Hiten cleared his throat, but did not look uncomfortable with the attention. Kagome was sure that he got it all the time from the female students. "So, now all you girls have to do is choose two electives from the list—you both got the e-mail, right?" They nodded again, and Kagome reached into her notebook to grab the packet she had printed a few days ago. "Oh, wonderful, you have it with you. Have you had a chance to look at it yet?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Kikyo cut in. "I know exactly what I want to do…" she trailed off as she snatched the paper out of Kagome's hands. "You don't mind, do you?"

Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no, of course not," she said quickly, but Kikyo was not waiting for a response; she had already flipped to the page that listed all the available courses. As her friend scanned the list, Kagome browsed through her bag, looking for a band-aid that she knew was in there from a year ago, and had most likely sunk to some bottom crevice. The packet had given her a paper cut which stung and threatened to drip blood onto the brown-haired boy's desk.

"Here," the teacher said, offering her one from his desk. "I always carry some; with some of the students, it's a miracle that band-aids are enough!"

Kagome smiled shyly. "Thanks," she mumbled as she unwrapped it. "Um, where's the trash can?"

"There's one right outside the door," he replied. "So, Kikyo, do you remember the ones you wanted to take? Oh, that one's…" His voice faded as Kagome left the room. There wasn't a trashcan right outside the door, and peering down the corridor, Kagome saw the closest one was halfway down the hall. She contemplated just shoving the paper scraps into her pocket, but then decided she could use the exercise. She had not yet thought about which clubs she wanted to join… archery definitely, but they were "strongly encouraged" to join two clubs… maybe drama? She didn't want to do anything classical; she had enough practice with that at the shrine… When she got back to the classroom, Kikyo was already packing up.

"Oh, you've decided already?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm doing Chemistry and Ancient Writings. Did you know that Mr. Hiten's brother is in charge of the humanity classes?"

Kagome shook her head no. "What about the clubs?"

"Well, archery of course, and I told him that you'd be in it too, right?"

"Yeah, thanks," Kagome nodded.

"And then I'll do dance. But, I mean, if I don't like it, I can always switch, right?" she asked, looking at Mr. Hiten for confirmation.

"Yes, yes of course," he replied.

"Great. I'm going to run to An. Wri., I'm only ten minutes late… See you later!" she smiled, giving Kagome a quick hug before rushing out the door, her hair swinging behind her.

"Bye!" Kagome and Mr. Hiten echoed.

He looked at her with a smile. "So, you also know what you want to do?" he asked.

"I think so," Kagome said, returning the smile. She sat in Kikyo's seat and glanced down again at the list of courses. "So… they can't be from the same category, right?" Mr. Hiten shook his head. "Well, I hate science, so I might as well get that over with… Um, Kikyo said that she's taking Chem, right? So, I guess I'll do that, too, and get her to help me out on the problems…"

"Actually, just so you know, Chemistry also has a laboratory section which goes after school on Tuesdays, so you might want to make sure that it doesn't interfere with any of your extracurricular activities."

"Oh, that's fine, my schedule is completely flexible," Kagome said thoughtfully. "But, then, I want the other class to be eas- well, you know, relatively easy," she corrected herself; the teacher was nice, and she didn't want to make the impression that she was a slacker. "Do you have anything that you would recommend?"

"Well, the Sociology class is always a favorite," he suggested.

"Ok, great! I'll do that then. Um, I suppose it would be too late to go to it now?"

"Actually, that's fine. Just quickly tell me the clubs that you're interested in, and I will send you on your way."

"Sure, I mean, as Kikyo said, I want to do archery. And then, I wanted to join the Drama Club."

Mr. Hiten made a note on his class list, and nodded at Kagome. "Okay, then, you're all set! I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"'Kay! Thanks, bye!" she said, quickly checking the location of the class and, throwing her bag over her shoulder, rushed out of the room. It took her only five minutes to climb two sets of stairs and scuttle down three corridors, before she finally found the class she was looking for. She paused outside the door to catch her breath. From inside she heard a loud, cacophonous moan. _Maybe I chose the wrong class?_ she though worriedly. Making sure her hair was still tightly braided, she cracked the door open and slipped into the classroom.

"Kagome!" a girl squealed over the racket students were making. "Kagome, come sit over here!"

Kagome looked for the origin of the voice and saw Sango waving madly at her. Smiling, she waved back. Suddenly, she realized that Kouga was also in the class, sitting right in front of Sango, and was also waving at her. Quickly she dropped her hand and blushed, worried that Kouga had gotten the (absolutely wrong!) impression that she had been waving at him so enthusiastically.

"So, you must be one of the new students," a voice rasped from the front of the room.

_This must be the teacher_, Kagome thought. The woman in front of her was old, slightly hunchbacked and fat, and her hair was tied in a strict graying bun at the top of her head. But, as soon as she smiled, Kagome was reminded of her grandmother.

"My name is Kaede. I teach sociology, as you can probably tell. The reason this group is so upset, is because of the project I just assigned them… But I'll tell everyone more about that in just a minute. Feel free to chose your own seat, child." She turned her back on Kagome to write something on the board, and Kagome took the chance to jump into the seat at the right of Sango, who had shoed the brown-haired boy from earlier out of it.

"Hey! Thanks… I totally didn't know where to sit…" Kagome grinned, purposefully avoiding looking at Kouga.

"Oh, no problem. Maybe you'll be able to keep this letch away from me, to return the favor!" Sango said, swinging around in her chair and slapping Miroku across the face. "He groped me!" was her response to Kagome's shocked expression.

"So, you two aren't going out?" she asked incredulously.

"Us? Oh, no, no, no… We've been childhood friends since forever, though," Sango explained.

"And one day, I will make her my beautiful bride," Miroku chimed in with a dreamy expression on his face.

Sango sadly shook her head. "He has to get over his adoration of all things female before that could happen."

"Oh," Kagome mouthed, and threw a quick glace back at Miroku, who was busy flirting with the girl sitting next to him. She raised her eyebrows at Sango, and then looked at the board to see what Kaede was writing. Slyly, or so she hoped, she peered at Kouga, and was a little disappointed to find he was also busy in conversation with the girl next to him. She was a pretty brunette, and her brown tank top showed off her athletic arms. She was wearing gold hoop earrings that perfectly complemented her tan… _If Kouga could get this kind of a girl, then everything that happened between us must have just been in my head_, Kagome thought sadly.

She was distracted from her self-pity by a piece of paper that Sango flipped skillfully onto her desk. It seemed that note-passing was an even greater art at this school than at her old one. Kagome unfolded it, and couldn't help but smile at Sango's perceptiveness: "Ayame. In love with him; he can't stand her though" was all it said. Kagome scribbled back, "lol, thanks", and tossed the paper back to her friend. Maybe, it was not over…

"So, children… Listen up here!" Kaede said with much more volume than Kagome thought her capable of. "I will now explain the project in more detail. You will be split up into groups of three or four students. I will then have each group do a presentation on this unit's topic: gender roles in relationships. By the end of the unit, in a month's time, you must prepare a paper, minimum 12 pages, citing at least 15 sources, along with an oral presentation lasting no longer than 8 minutes. I'll give you 10 more minutes in which to chose your groups, and then start the lecture. Go!"

The class immediately broke out into chatter, who wants to work with whom, if a group of five was allowed, but Kagome wasn't paying attention. What if Sango didn't invite her to be in the group? What would she do? Nervously, she peaked at Sango, who was busy yelling at Miroku and didn't notice Kagome's furtive look. Kagome looked around the room, trying to figure out who else she knew. Kouga, Inuyasha was in the corner, the brown-haired boy that was in both her classes… "Sango?" she asked, "can I be in your group?"

Sango looked at her surprised. "Um, yeah, sure! I mean, if it's okay with the boys, let me ask… Inuyasha! Kagome's going to be working with us, okay?" she called across the room.

"Whatever," he drawled back.

Sango smiled. "It's fine then! Sorry, I just don't want to work with Inuyasha when he's in a bad mood… trust me, that's something that you don't want to see either!"

And, taking another look at the well-chiseled body through the muscle shirt he was wearing, Kagome had to agree. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Kouga looked upset. _Maybe, he did want to be in a group with me?_ But then, working with Sango was bound to be fun… and besides, she could always hook them up later. Although, with a girl on each arm, Kouga seemed to be doing just fine without her. "Hey, Sango, who's Kouga with?"

"Oh, are you interested?" Sango said teasingly.

"Well… Maybe," Kagome giggled quietly.

Sango leaned in to Kagome secretively. "Okay, here's the gossip. The girl on the left is Kagura, but she's going out with Inuyasha's older brother, Sesshoumaru, who is _the_ best catch in the entire school, so she's in pretty high standing right now. Like I said, the girl on the right is Ayame, who rumor has it is engaged to Kouga, but we all think that she started the rumor herself, because Kouga flatly denies it. They're both on the cheerleading team, and they are both really really dumb. Kouga doesn't like stupid girls, he prefers them to be intellectually stimulating, so both of them are out of the picture. If you'd like, I could set you up to work with him…?"

Kagome chuckled. "No thanks, I'd rather work on this project with smart people."

"Plus," Sango added, "most of the stuff we do will be at Inuyasha's house, which is _amazing_, plus his brother will be there, and we'll get to see him."

Kagome was surprised by Sango's eagerness to see this Sess-whatchamacallhim. It was an unusual name. "How old is he?"

"Oh, he's several years older than us, but he's a junior. He dropped out after middle school to help his father out with the family business, but then went back to high school because he felt like he was missing out on all the fun." Kagome looked quizzical. "Well, that's my theory, at least. Honestly, no one knows. Inuyasha's too scared of him to say anything, and no one is brave enough to ask."

"Wow," Kagome frowned, "it sounds like he must be pretty lonely."

"Well, not really. He has a bunch of admirers, and a fan club, and he's the captain of two teams, and he's part of the tea ceremony club. I think he keeps himself pretty busy." Sango would have continued, but Kaede decided that enough class time was wasted and called class into order. For the next hour and a half, Kagome was busily scribbling notes, not catching Ayame's evil eye as she glared at her over her shoulder. And soon, class was over, and Kagome made plans with Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha to meet after school to plan out the project. She and Sango, arms linked, headed to the last class of the day, which was history.

They arrived several minutes early. Kagome let go of Sango's arm and waited for the teacher to enter the room to tell her where she could sit. However, a few minutes later, it wasn't the teacher who turned up but a distraught Kikyo.

"Kagome, I can't take that class! I can't! The professor looks like an overgrown, bald fat mouse! And the readings are awful, and there are so many papers to write, I totally refuse!" she wailed.

Kagome sighed, seeing that Kikyo was still as much of a drama queen as she had ever been, and becoming uncomfortable with the number of students that were glancing their way. "Shhhh, Kikyo," she comforted. "I'm sure it would be fine if you told Mr. Hiten that you want to switch into a different elective, I mean it's only the first day! You know what, if you take Sociology, we're doing a group project and I'm sure we can make a group."

"Oh, you don't have one yet? Did no one want you in their group?"

Kagome bristled at the condescending tone, but decided not to argue. Enough people were ogling them as it was. "You know, I am sure that if we were to pair up, we could get one more person to join us. It's a fun project, I think you'd be into it!" Kagome said through gritted teeth.

Kikyo smiled at her. "Thanks, Kagome, you're a good friend."

"No problem," Kagome replied as the teacher walked in. He was tall and gangly, wore glasses and looked just like Kagome expected a history teacher to look like: boring.

"Ah, so you must be the two new students," he said. "Welcome. You can both have a seat right in the front row here," he said, pointing to the two open spots directly in front of him. Kagome glanced back at Sango and rolled her eyes; maybe she would be able to request a seat change later.

"So, I assume you all know each other… so let's get to work." He turned to the white board and started writing dates in a neat hand, waiting patiently for everyone to catch up, before starting to explain the timeline of the Japanese emperors. And, just as Kagome had predicted, it was a very boring class.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Next chapter: Chemistry, Jealousy and Inuyasha's House!

It's time for chemistry! Kagome shares a lab bench with Kikyo, Sesshoumaru and Naraku… And how did her sociology group turn into Kikyo and Inuyasha? Meanwhile, she's in a study group with Sango, Miroku and Kouga (dreamy sigh)… until she starts to find his advances annoying, and Ayame's dirty pranks painful.

Thanks to you reviewers! 3 You are what makes me want to write more .

Say, it'll make you insane  
And I'm bending the truth  
You're to blame  
For all the life that you'll lose  
And you watch this space  
And I'm going all the way  
And be my slave to the grave  
I'm the priest God never paid

-Muse


	3. Tadaima

So…. This got a little long, and I have to save the school day for the next chapter. But, since I have it all planned out and everything, please expect it as a quicker update! Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

Chapter 3

Finally, school was over, and she, Sango and Miroku were soaking up some afternoon sun while waiting for Inuyasha to arrive. After an impossibly long History class, Kagome had made her way over to talk to Hiten-sensei about math. Unfortunately, she was placed out of his basic level algebra course and into the accelerated trigonometry section. And on Tuesdays, math was during lunch block: depending on the teacher's mood, which she was to find out was usually sour, the class would go to lunch either first, second or third period – which meant that she only had a 33% chance of seeing her friends. Kagome hated math. _Maybe I'll fail the first test_, she decided, _and switch back into Hiten-sensei's class_.

Unfortunately, that plan fell through as soon as she told Sango her bad luck.

"Really?!" Sango squealed. "That's super! I mean, not super that we won't be in the same class," she amended, seeing Kagome's sad face. "Super that you can tutor me! I mean, I seriously think I might fail that class. It's really a problem. So, I'm so excited that you know what you're talking about. About math."

Miroku, who as usual was standing at Sango's side, agreed whole-heartedly. "Even I don't have enough patience to teach this beautiful girl. And listening to her complain day in and day out about the difficulty of the assignments… well, that just gets me down, too. After all, Sango dear," he smiled, turning to her, "your happiness is my happiness." Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure. That would be great, if I had enough time to fit it all into my schedule. I mean, look at this!" She pulled out a colorful schedule from her notebook. "I have no idea when I'll be free at all."

"Oh, Kagome… why did you sign up for _archery_?" Sango moaned sympathetically. "Well, I guess since you're new… but everyone knows that it's the hardest extracirric. Sesshoumaru's in charge of it, and he's a monster!"

"Hey!" a voice called from around the corner. "What are you saying about my big brother?"

"That he's a monster!" Sango yelled back as Inuyasha came into sight. "Did you know he's scheduled archery to start at seven in the morning?"

"Huh," Inuyasha half snorted, and took the schedule from Sango. "Well, he's an early riser," he grinned, and handed the schedule back to Kagome. "Sucks to be you."

"Thanks," Kagome said quietly, looking down as soon as their eyes met. Had he forgiven her for earlier that morning? It seemed like he had. But then, maybe he hadn't. And why did she say thanks?

"Well then, are you ready to go?" Miroku asked.

"Sure, as soon as Sesshoumaru shows up," Inuyasha said. Kagome looked questioningly at Sango.

"He'll give us a ride," Sango explained, shouldering her bag. "And if mine ears don't deceive me, that's him coming right now."

Kagome turned towards the doors, wondering what Sango was talking about; all she heard was a steadily approaching, loud group of girls. And that was all she saw… Until she saw him. He stood head and shoulders above the rest of the people in the yard, impossible to miss. _And, impossible to ignore_, Kagome thought muddily. He was beautiful, confident, well-dressed, and Kagome didn't understand how she could have glanced twice at anyone else in the school. So absorbed was she by Sesshoumaru, that she didn't notice Inuyasha staring straight at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes, and a small frown on his face.

But Sango and Miroku did.

* * *

Sesshoumaru had just gotten out of the office, where he'd been talking with the principle about getting permission for a tea master to visit the school, when he heard Inuyasha yell out to someone in the courtyard.

"What are you saying about my big brother?"

"That he's a _monster_!" was his brother's friend's reply. _Sango_, he realized. While he never cared to associate himself with his immature brother or his equally delinquent friends, he couldn't help but learn their names. Not only because he had a photographic memory, but because they all screamed at each other so often that even the servants could tell you who was who. But, Sesshoumaru couldn't think of a reason why Sango of all people would be upset with him; they never talked. Sure, plenty of people he did talk to were upset by his cold attitude, but that was their dilemma. Sesshoumaru only hoped that it would keep them away. More than anything else, he hated to be bothered by trivial problems. _But, what was she disconcerted about?_

He slowly worked his way through the group of girls, ridiculously calling themselves his "fanclub", trying not to show any more displeasure on his face than was normally there. Everything about this daily routine annoyed him: the pretense of friendship, the stale classes, the meaningless homework which he paid a local college professor to do for him. He begrudged the time, which he could have spent developing his project: an integrated 3D graphics game chip for a portable street-fighter style game he and his father invented. Taisho Inc was the international leader in entertainment ever since they had come out with the fantasy game, Demons. Every player could design their own humanoid character, wielding special powers and inherent weaknesses, which would mimic their body movements and respond to voice commands. Some people chose to be strong warriors, others clever magic-wielders. Players would each enter a clear dome, which would project a background and any participating players' characters onto the round screen. Then they would battle. It became a sensation, a fun way to exercise in a fat world, and a harmless alternative to fighting. The only problem was, you needed the domes. Sesshoumaru was developing a portable holographic simulator which would allow people to play everywhere and anywhere, the background of the game as exact to your location as satellite receivers could make it.

He was excited. It was his project, his chance to patent, his opening to escape the Taisho family.

All he wanted was to start working. But first… he had to get to his computer. Which meant driving Inuyasha, and his friends, home. Without looking at the group, _If they want a ride, they'll catch up_, he made his way to his parking spot.

As he walked up to his car, Sesshoumaru realized that there was one more voice than usual trailing him. _So he's picked up another girl?_ Opening the driver's door, he turned his head inconspicuously to glance in her direction and turned away quickly, before anyone could notice the surprise in his eyes. _She's absolutely… plain._

_

* * *

  
_

Kagome scurried to keep up with her new friends, stumbling as her feet caught on a stray rock and almost falling over when she bumped into someone in her haste to catch up with them.

"Sorry!" She quickly bowed. "So sorry!" But the guy, whoever he was, ignored her completely. Irked, she ran a few steps to catch up with Inuyasha, who trailed behind Sango and Miroku by a few feet. "Crowded, isn't it, Inuyasha?" she asked with a small smile, trying to make light conversation with the boy. See if maybe they could become friends. Not because she was quickly developing a crush on his brother, who was walking just a few feet in front of her, but who she was too embarrassed to talk to. Definitely not because of that.

He looked down at her, surprised by her initiative. He though that he had made an adequately menacing impression earlier on. It wasn't that he had meant to scare her or anything, it was just better if she knew early on that he wasn't going to play nice-nice. It wasn't in his character. "Yeah," he agreed, and proceeded to ignore her.

Unfortunately, Kagome wasn't to be discouraged so easily. "How big is the school, do you know?"

He shot her a why-the-hell-would-I-know-the-answer-to-that look, one Kagome would soon recognize as a trademark expression, and looked away.

Kagome sighed. "Yeah… Not that it really matters, anyways." There was a small pause as Kagome thought of another conversation topic. The weather? Politics? Philosophy? The parking lot was pretty close, so she decided on a simple, two-second answer question. "So, what classes are you taking?"

"What's it to you?" he demanded, rolling his eyes and sighing.

Kagome bristled. "I'm just wondering!"

"Haven't you ever learned to not ask questions you can get the answers to yourself?" It came out gruffer than he wanted, but he didn't have a chance to play it off as sarcasm-Kagome was peeved, and a peeved Kagome was snappy.

"How am I supposed to know your schedule? Stalk you?"

Inuyasha was piqued. It wasn't every day that he planned to be nice, and it was even rarer that he didn't get what he wanted. "It's on the computer system," he barked, and quickly walked around the car to get into the shotgun seat.

Surprised by the heated voices, Sango and Miroku has stopped their conversation short and were now staring at a cross Kagome. "What?" she demanded. "It's not like I knew that the computer system is a stalkerific violation of student's privacy."

Miroku shook his head, defeated. Sango smiled sympathetically, something that Kagome was getting tired of seeing. "He's always like that, Kagome. Don't let it bother you."

"Like I would let some_thing_ like _him_ bother me!" Kagome sniffed loudly, not caring that her hair was in her mouth, that her eyebrows were knit together, that her cheeks were pale or that her shirt slightly stained from bumping into the stranger. Maybe she would have, if she knew that this was the first impression she would make on Sesshoumaru.

The car ride was silent and quick, courtesy of Sesshoumaru not considering the speed limit. Inuyasha was playing with his cell phone, Sango and Miroku were both looking out the window and Kagome, stuck between the two in the back seat, was murderously thinking of her failed attempt at conversation. It was only after they were all out of the car that she realized she missed her perfect opportunity to gawk at Sesshoumaru, and hated Inuyasha that much more.

* * *

Sesshoumaru was unexpectedly grateful for the new girl's presence, if in a completely uninvolved way. She was, he assumed, that the reason that the car ride was so quite. He could ever really think _well_ when there were people's voices clamoring in the background, and during the soundless drive he had decided on which section of the project to tackle first. Not that he would voice his gratitude-after all, she had _done_ nothing. He looked at her again as he walked around the back of the car, nodding to the servants that rushed out to clean it. He shook his head. _Still plain_, he mused. _I wonder if there's something I'm missing?_

He walked into the house ahead of the group, who had paused to wait for the girl. First she had stared open-mouthed at the lawn in front of their house, and now she was bent over some flowers, admiring the petals. His brother, ever the gracious host, started to complain that she was too slow.

"Hey, you! Hurry up," Sesshoumaru heard faintly as he made his way up the front steps.

And then louder, "I'm not a 'hey you!' My name's _Kagome_! Ka-go-" _Well,_ he thought as he closed the front door, _now I know what her name is._

"Okaerinasai, Sesshoumaru-sama" the servants chorused as he entered.

"Tadaima," he replied. It was a common exchange, one used in every household in Japan. It was so ingrained in his mind to say it, that even when he went abroad on business trips and stayed in hotels, when he got back to his room he would say, "Tadaima." It was a lonely feeling, when no one welcomed you home, and when your "I'm back" went unnoticed.

"Would you like something to eat or drink, sir?" his maid asked with a smile, walking straight up to him like no other member of the staff was bold enough to do.

"No, thank you, Rin."

"Very good, sir. Please let me know if there is anything!"

"Yes, Rin." This, also, was an every-day exchange that they had going, but one that was more unique to him. No one else that he knew of had a maid that they were so fond of. Rin was cheerful, respectful and concise, and always followed every order without question. Sesshoumaru had overhead the maids talking once, and knew that she had a bit of a crush on him. While this should have complicated things, Sesshoumaru didn't feel obliged to reciprocate, and continued treating her as an intelligent pet. Nevertheless, he had to admit that it was pleasant to come home to her; and he could count the number of pleasant experiences he had per day on one hand.

As usual, he made his way up the grand staircase and into his step-mother's room first. "Tadaima, Izayoi-san," he said, bowing slightly at the doorway and then walking into her room to lean down to kiss her on the cheek in the western-style of things.

"Okaeri, Sesshoumaru. How was your day?"

"Very good, thank you." When Izayoi had first moved in, there were awkward pauses in their conversations, but now that he had established a friendly but professional connection with her, and she had stopped trying to fill in the role of mother, their scripted talks went smoothly and effortlessly.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"May I bring you anything?"

"No, thank you, Sesshoumaru."

"Then I will be in my study."

"I will see you at dinner."

"Have a good evening." He bowed again and backed away a few steps, before turning and leaving, speeding up when he was out of the room. It wasn't that he had an aversion to his step-mother, but things went much more smoothly when he didn't have to worry about forgetting to pretend to love her. She lived here and was his father's wife, and his half-brother's mother—and that was that. No one could ask more of him than to be respectful and courteous, and thankfully no one had.

He heard his younger brother and his friends climbing up the stairs as he waited for the elevator to take him to his wing on the seventh floor. Unless they would stay for dinner, he wouldn't need to see any more of them.

* * *

"Wooooooow," was all that Kagome could say as she ogled the marble floors, the sparkling chandeliers, and the row of servants waiting to greet them at the front door. "You _live_ here? It feels like a … a museum or something!"

Inuyasha snorted. "How many museums have _you_ been to?" he asked, pushing past her to get inside.

Kagome didn't have enough energy to take offense to the snide comment. First, she was worried that if she touched something, it would break and she would never be able to pay them back; second, she felt self-conscious as she realized Sango and Miroku were both used to this lifestyle—so, Sango's skirt _was_ silk, and those were _diamonds_ in Miroku's ears. She gulped. And third… she blushed slightly as she realized how absurd it was… it really shouldn't be anything… she was sure it was just that she had gone to an all-girls school… but… Inuyasha had… touched her. Had… brushed against her, so that she could _smell_ him… and… he smelt… good. He _looked_ good, she realized, as he took off his bright red jacket, revealing a tight white shirt underneath. _But I seriously shouldn't have a crush on a guy just because he's cute_, she chided herself. _Not when I know how much of a jerk he is. And not when I have a crush on his brother!!_

"Mo-om! I'm ho-ome!" he called as he threw his bag over a couch.

Quickly, one of the maids picked it up and rushed up the huge stairwell. _Probably taking it to his room, the spoiled brat!_ Kagome thought. But before she could nag him about it, a beautiful woman appeared at the top of the stairs, and for the n-th time that day, all Kagome could do was stare.

"Welcome home, Inuyasha!" she smiled. From the way she had carried herself, Kagome could tell at once that she was in charge of the household. Her back was perfectly straight in the silk dress that was perfectly tailored, her neck was perfectly arched over a pearl necklace. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her nails, which Kagome could see resting on the banister as floated down the stairs, were perfectly manicured.

"Izayoi-san," Miroku cut in front of Kagome, sweeping up the woman's hand and bringing it to his lips. "Always, such a pleasure," he said smoothly, and Kagome was shocked to find the level of maturity and sophistication that has spread through his normally breathy voice. She glanced at Sango, who was scowling.

"Miroku-chan, you never change. It's been too long since you were here!" She said laughing. "And how have you been, Sango, dear?"

Sango stepped forward and, smiling despite herself, gave Izayoi a gentle hug. "Izayoi-san," she said in greeting.

"Please, no more formalities! It makes me feel old," she glowed. Then, her surprisingly blue eyes fell on Kagome. "Hello, I'm Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother," she introduced apologetically.

"Ka-Kagome, Kagome Higurashi," Kagome stumbled through her introduction, blushing.

"She's a classmate, we're here to work on a sociology project, mom," Inuyasha cut in. "We'll be in my room, so could you bring us up some snacks?"

Kagome stared at Inuyasha; how could he talk that way to this elegant woman? But then, she remembered that it was exactly the same way she talked with her own mom… But, it didn't feel the same. Her mom was… normal. This woman was not.

"Of course dear. Be productive!" She called after her son's retreating back, and Kagome bowed quickly but deeply as she made her way after Inuyasha, reminded of the need to move by Sango's gentle push.

"It was very nice to meet you," she said, bowing again, before turning and hurrying to follow her friends, not sure if she could focus on the project when all she wanted to do was explore the mansion.

* * *

End Chapter 3!

And, here are Beatles lyrics for the chapter 

Well they took some honey from a tree  
Dressed it up and they called it me  
Everybody's trying to be my baby  
Everybody's trying to be my baby  
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now


End file.
